When I was young, I ate some tainted meat and was ill for over a week. Ever since then, I have had a morbid fear of eating undercooked meat, and I refuse to eat anything that is less than well done. Problem is, said fear also crosses over into my cooking, and many times people complained about me overcooking their meats, and telling me that it is really weird and gross for me to enjoy well done meat, comparing it to eating shoe leather.

How do I get off of my fear of undercooked meat? I do not like having to consciously remind myself to take the meat out early, else people might complain, and I also do not wish to get weird looks any more when I order my meat well done. Thanks!

Most bacteria from meat comes from the surface from handling. Ground meat is most dangerous to eat raw unless you grind it yourself and know what has gone through the grinder and that you have cleaned it well between uses. (I bet as a kid, you ate a tainted hamburger, where the preceding meat in the grinder was possibly pork, more problematic in the past than now, not a filet mignon.) The interior of healthy slaughtered meat (muscle) is sterile. Unless the meat has been stored without refrigeration, it should be fine, even served "black and blue"-ultra rare with a "second degree burn" on the surface.

If you have eaten only well done meat, you don't know what you have been missing!

yeah. it was a hamburger I ate that made me ill. The advice you gave me is a little helpful, and I will try to eat some rare-ish meat sometime soon.. Even if it is just medium-well, I will try to take a few bites.

yeah. it was a hamburger I ate that made me ill. The advice you gave me is a little helpful, and I will try to eat some rare-ish meat sometime soon.. Even if it is just medium-well, I will try to take a few bites.

Well, if the meat grinder had been used previously with pork or whatever, the cooking of the burger (to 145 degrees) would have killed any bacteria.

What you most likely got sick from was someone doing the prep of the lettuce, maters or onions. If bacteria gets on these items, they aren't cooked off.

This is how Jack in the Box and many others got in to trouble, tainted greens, not the meat.

Have someone cook for you, someone who knows how to cook a good slab. Ease your way in. My wife was the same way years ago, WELL DONE PLEASE !!! She would always say. As time went on, she'd want to try what I had on my plate. Picking at this and taking that. After a while she asked how come my meat was tender, juicy and had great flavors? "Because I didn't cook it to the point of a hiking boot, that's why." And she was cured.

well, back then I was rather young, and I was quite picky back then. My burgers only had meat, a dab of sauce, and cheese on them.. Plus, my father was the kind of person who liked to cook meat VERY rare, as in putting the meat on the grill for about 5 seconds, flipping it, waiting for a few seconds, and serving it. I mean, the center was still cold most of the time. I guess that could be another reason for my fear of undercooked meat. When it's raw, ground beef tastes HORRIBLE in my opinion. As for the other advice, that might work as well.. I will look into it the next time I go to a semi-nice place that makes steak.

well, back then I was rather young, and I was quite picky back then. My burgers only had meat, a dab of sauce, and cheese on them.. Plus, my father was the kind of person who liked to cook meat VERY rare, as in putting the meat on the grill for about 5 seconds, flipping it, waiting for a few seconds, and serving it. I mean, the center was still cold most of the time. I guess that could be another reason for my fear of undercooked meat. When it's raw, ground beef tastes HORRIBLE in my opinion. As for the other advice, that might work as well.. I will look into it the next time I go to a semi-nice place that makes steak.

Ground beef can vary greatly in flavor. I buy quite a bit of it for my 2 boys (pickier than you, bread and burger, nothing else). And I'm always amazed, from Safeway to Raley's (when I'm in a rush), then to the fancier grass fed organic ilk. My favorite was from Rick's Quality Meats in El Cerrito, but he retired and that was pretty much that. He used to grind it for me right there at that moment.

I do agree though, your father's timing for preparing your burgers wasn't quite enough. If I know where my meat came from, I'll took it to about 130 to 135, that's pretty rare. But if it's grocery store fodder, 145 is the way. If you were my neighbor, I could get you going and calm your ills with a nice smoked pork roast or beefy beef roast.

Well, a lot of things my father did were not really orthodox, like his eating eggshells right after cracking the eggs, and things like that. It taught me quite a bit of what not to do when it comes to cooking.

The burgers he made were made from very questionable quality meats. Typically store brand stuff that is discounted due to it's age. Not good quality whatsoever. Needless to say, I dread having to come over to his place because of the age of the ingredients in the food he serves. In all honesty, I'm surprised I didn't come down with food poisoning every time he cooked.

Well, a lot of things my father did were not really orthodox, like his eating eggshells right after cracking the eggs, and things like that. It taught me quite a bit of what not to do when it comes to cooking.

The burgers he made were made from very questionable quality meats. Typically store brand stuff that is discounted due to it's age. Not good quality whatsoever. Needless to say, I dread having to come over to his place because of the age of the ingredients in the food he serves. In all honesty, I'm surprised I didn't come down with food poisoning every time he cooked.

You've certainly been dealt a bad hand. If you're anywhere near the San Francisco Bay Area I am willing to host a grilling class where yourself and any bunch of friends and family are welcome to attend.
I held one 2 weeks ago and spent 5 hours with a 2nd generation vegetarian and spent over 3 hours eating what came off my grill.
I will be holding more grilling classes throughout 2007. If you're interested, let me know. I am also willing to take techniques in to the kitchen.

I just tried cooking some meat (a large-ish roast) to medium today and I have to say, I do not understand what is so great about cooking it to less done levels.

I found the flavor to be quite different (I'm not sure whether it is in a good way, or a bad way), and the texture to be far less chewy, and more soft. Needless to say, I like my meat to be very chewy and springy when I chew it, that way the flavor lasts longer.

I just tried cooking some meat (a large-ish roast) to medium today and I have to say, I do not understand what is so great about cooking it to less done levels.

I found the flavor to be quite different (I'm not sure whether it is in a good way, or a bad way), and the texture to be far less chewy, and more soft. Needless to say, I like my meat to be very chewy and springy when I chew it, that way the flavor lasts longer.

..maybe I'm just weird, who knows?

I say just go with what you like! Unless there is a good reason to change, why force yourself? The "best" way to cook something is to how you like it. As far as guests go, you could always put your steak on the grill a couple minutes before putting theirs on, or in the case of the roast cut a small piece off for yourself and roast it along with the larger one for the guests. Your chunk will cook further then theirs due to the greater surface to mass ratio.

You could always save the more cooked end of the standing rib roast beef for yourself. That's what I do. I love rare to medium rare rib-eye steaks, but if it is in a standing rib roast, I'll take the end every time. That's where the carefully developed crust and all seasoning is!

You could always save the more cooked end of the standing rib roast beef for yourself. That's what I do. I love rare to medium rare rib-eye steaks, but if it is in a standing rib roast, I'll take the end every time. That's where the carefully developed crust and all seasoning is!

hmm.. good ideas. I guess one of my biggest problems is when I go to a steakhouse and order my steak medium-well, while my friends and family order theirs medium-rare, and they are all finished and waiting for the check, while I'm still waiting for mine to finish.. Oh well..